As a small school located in the Central Valley, the new UC
Merced campus, which began classes for the first time this fall,
showcases a student body unique to the University of
California.
Of the 875 freshman, transfer and graduate students who have
enrolled to be part of UC Merced’s inaugural class, almost
half are the first in their family to attend college, and more than
31 percent identify themselves as an underrepresented minority,
which the university defines as Hispanic, Latino, Chicano, black or
Native American.
Only UC Riverside enrolls a higher percentage of minorities than
the new campus, while other UCs enroll slightly more than half that
percentage on average.
UCLA’s student body consists of about 18 percent
underrepresented minorities.
Officials at the new university say the high number of
minorities and first-generation students is not a coincidence.
Located in the hills of the San Joaquin Valley, UC Merced serves
a community that is largely made up of minorities, so it makes
sense that the region’s school would reflect the demographics
of the area, said Patti Istas, a spokeswoman for the
university.
“If you’re familiar with the San Joaquin Valley, our
population here is very ethnically and racially diverse. Because so
many of our students are coming from the Central Valley, it’s
a natural correlation,” she said.
Merced has also enrolled students who, as first-generation
college attendees, may not otherwise have gone to a university.
Students in the Central Valley ““ previously far from a UC
campus and attending schools that often do not offer Advanced
Placement classes or courses that fill all the UC requirements
““ have been at a disadvantage when it comes to the pursuit of
higher education, said David Ashley, the executive vice chancellor
and provost of UC Merced.
“In the Central Valley … there’s been
under-investment (in education), both by the state and the local
community,” he said.
As a result, he said, students in the area have gone to a UC at
half the rate of students in the rest of the state.
Merced officials hope the presence of a UC in the area may begin
to turn this around.
“By locating the campus here, that provides easier access
to a whole new range of students … a new population of
students,” said Sheryl Wyan, another UC Merced
spokeswoman.
One advantage Merced brings to students in the Central Valley is
financial ““ for many students, a local school is a more
affordable option.
“For students in this region, there’s obviously an
economic benefit,” Istas said.
Almost 300 students ““ or about a third of the student body
““ commute to school, and many of those live at home, she
added.
But the incentive for students from the Central Valley in
particular, and other areas of the state as well, to attend UC
Merced is about more than the location, particularly for
first-generation college students.
Istas said she believes the smaller size of the new UC gives
Merced a more accessible atmosphere than students might find
elsewhere.
“I think we were able to really give that feeling that …
we’re smaller and welcoming,” she said.
And this may assuage some of the concerns parents and students
have about going to college.
“For family, cultural or other personal reasons, I think
that the smaller campus at UC Merced can be a very favorable thing
for families,” Wyan said.
“It’s also a fact that makes families more willing
to encourage their students to go on to college, that they know
that they’re going to be in a more supportive …
campus,” she added.
Merced officials say they expect that by bringing a small number
of students to the university this year, the school may be able to
attract more first-generation students in future years.